Brunello di Montalcino is a visibly limpid, brilliant wine, with a bright garnet colour. It has an intense perfume, persistent, ample and ethereal. One can recognize scents of undergrowth, aromatic wood, berries, light vanilla and jam. To the taste the wine has an elegant harmonious body, vigorous and racy, it is dry with a lengthy aromatic persistence.

Because of its characteristics, Brunello can be aged for a long time, improving as the years go by. It is not easy to determine exactly for how many years it improves. It depends on the vintage. It varies from a minimum of 10 years to around 30 years, but it can be kept for even longer. Naturally it must be kept in the right way: in a cool cellar, but above all with a constant temperature, in the dark, without noises and smells; the bottles should be laid horizontally.

Accompaniments for Brunello di Montalcino

The elegance and the harmonious body of this wine allow for accompaniments of well structured and composite dishes such as red meats, game – both feather and fur, possibly accompanied by mushrooms and truffles. It also goes perfectly together with international cuisine dishes with a base of meats and sauces.

Brunello is also an excellent accompaniment for cheeses: seasoned tomes, Tuscan pecorino, structured cheeses. Moreover, because of its characteristics, it can be enjoyed as a meditation wine.

Brunello di Montalcino wine should be served in ample shaped rounded crystal glasses, so as to gather its composite harmonious bouquet. It should be served at a temperature of 18°C-20°C. The very old bottles should be decanted into a crystal jug, in order to oxygenate them better and offer the wine in its total purity.

Production Rules of Brunello di Montalcino

Brunello di Montalcino was recognized as a wine of DENOMINATION OF CONTROLLED AND GUARANTEED ORIGIN with the Presidential Decree: D.P.R. 1/7/1980, and various modifications ensued subsequently. The rules established by the disciplinary regulations in vigour according to the Decree of 19/5/1998 are as follows:

- Production area: The Montalcino Township - Variety: Sangiovese (also called “Brunello” in Montalcino) - Maximum yield of grapes: 80 quintals per hectare - Ratio of grape yield to wine: 68% - Minimum aging in wood: 2 years in oak. Minimum aging in bottles: 4 months (6 months for the Riserva) - Colour: intense ruby red tending towards garnet as it ages - Odour: characteristic intense perfume - Taste: dry, warm, lightly tannic, robust and harmonious - Minimum alcohol content: 12.5% Vol. - Minimum total acidity: 5 g/lt - Minimum net dry extract: 24 g/lt - Bottling: can only be done with the production area - Ready to be sold: 5 years after the year of the harvest (6 years for the Riserva) - Packaging: Brunello di Montalcino can only be sold if it is in Bordelaise shaped bottles